Difference and Distance
by Delaney97
Summary: Hikaru is still upset with his brother for falling in love with someone and "deserting" him, but can the quiet bookworm melt his frozen heart? Disclaimer: I do not own any of the hosts or Haruhi!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 Amy Marshall

Music Room 3 was so quiet on those days when they did not have any customers.

Amy enjoyed the silence.

It made reading easier. Especially when reading InuYasha. She loved that manga. It was one of her favorites.

As always, Amy was off in her corner; reading. And everyone else was spread out. They were all in their usual spots. Melinda was in Kaoru's lap as they both sat in a chair in the corner. Lynn was sitting on a couch and texting ferociously. Then there was Hikaru.

He was the only one that seemed like he wasn't content with life as it was. Everyone else was happy and in love.

Then, Amy realized that she and Hikaru were the only ones in the host club that were single.

To be honest, Amy had considered some of the boys in the host club, but she never saw them as anything more than friends.

She checked the time on her phone and stood up. She gathered her things and walked towards the door.

"Amy! Where are you going?"

She turned around to see Lynn staring at her.

"I've got soccer practice tonight and I need to get home and do my homework."

Lynn waved and repositioned herself on the couch.

When Amy turned around, she caught sight of Hikaru. He was staring at her.

Amy offered a shy smile, but his scowl only hardened and he turned away quickly.

She almost stopped in her tracks but she forced herself to keep going. When she made it outside, she stopped in front of the doors and leaned back into them. She sighed and zoned out as she thought about Hikaru.

_What was his problem? I've never even spoken to him. Much less offended him, _Amy thought.

She shrugged it off.

However, no matter what she did, his menacing scowl kept creeping back into her mind.

She sighed.

An hour of homework, soccer practice, and a shower later, Amy was sitting on the floor at Melinda's house.

Melinda had called Amy, Lynn, Rose, Laney, and Kat over to her house to eat takeout sushi. This innocent get together quickly progressed to Lynn and Kat playing some dance game on the Kinect, Laney and Rose cheering them on, and Amy and Melinda still sitting on the floor and eating.

When Amy finally decided to talk to Melinda, she quietly asked, "What's Hikaru's problem?"

Melinda sat for a second.

"What do you mean?" She slurped up a piece of sushi.

"Well," Amy began with a sigh, "today he gave me this _horrible _scowl and I was wondering what I ever did to him."

"Oh," Melinda stared sadly at the bottom of her takeout box. "Well, he's still upset about Kaoru and me…"

"_Still?_"

"Yeah, he's a real touchy guy. He's like an emotional time bomb. I swear, if he ever got shot up with gamma radiation, he would be the worst hulk ever."

Amy laughed at how dorky her friend was.

"You watch too many superhero movies."

Melinda gave her a big, cheesy smile.

"They're just so amazing!"

Amy let the Hikaru topic drop and she just enjoyed herself the rest of the night.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 Hikaru Hitachiin

The next day, Hikaru woke up feeling a bit weird…

Something was different and Hikaru couldn't pinpoint it.

_Oh well, I'm still in a crappy mood, _he thought.

He put on his uniform quickly and went out to the car. He saw Melinda's camaro in the driveway and watched Kaoru practically skip to it.

Kaoru was such an idiot for letting that girl get into his head like that.

_Whatever, _Hikaru thought spitefully, _his problem, not mine. _

It didn't take long to get to Ouran Academy. At least, it didn't feel like it.

Hikaru hurried inside and walked quickly to his first hour.

The day passed by uneventfully, and it didn't too long to end. _That_ was something good about the day…

Now, Hikaru was making his way to Music Room 3. He completely zoned out while staring out the windows he passed by.

He was thinking about yesterday and how everyone was in love, but him.

And Amy…

_What's so special about love? No one respects it anyway, _he thought angrily.

As he walked, he felt as through each step was taking him closer to the answer to his problem.

He looked down at his feet.

_C'mon! Take me to the answer!_

He walked faster and faster and faster.

But then…

BAM!

Hikaru landed flat on his back and Amy Marshall was on top of him.

Within that split second that Amy was on top of Hikaru, he just stared into her eyes. Those large doe-like eyes that he lost himself in somehow put him at peace.

The moment of peace was broken when she quickly got off of him and gave him an apologetic look.

"I'm so sorry!"

She frantically began grabbing her books from the floor.

Hikaru got so angry.

_She shouldn't have to be sorry! She never does anything wrong!_

"Why don't you watch where you're going?"

She gave him a puzzled look.

"If you were more careful, you wouldn't have to apologize all the time!"

He stood up quickly and looked at her menacingly.

As soon as his blazing eyes met hers, he felt like a monster.

Here he was, a vicious beast, about to go off on innocent Amy, a small defenseless creature. He stared into her sad eyes and, instead of saying something he'd regret, he walked away quickly.

Hikaru decided to skip host club that day.

He called home and got the car sent out for him. He was so sick of being so angry all the time. At first, though, he didn't really know why he was so angry. However, just the week before, he had an epiphany.

Some may call it the desire to be loved, but, in the end, it all boiled down to just plain jealousy.

He wasn't upset that Tamaki was with Haruhi, Mori was with Laney, Kaoru was with Melinda, or that Kyoya was with Rose. He was just upset that love practically fell out of the sky and landed at their feet, and Hikaru was still waiting for her fall at his feet. Maybe she hadn't fallen out of the sky yet…

He shook his head.

She had fallen. He just had to find her. She was here somewhere…

_I hope I'm smart enough to keep her after I've found her, _he though sadly.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 Amy Marshall

The next day felt…off.

Something just didn't feel right.

Amy couldn't put her finger on it. However, she knew it all began the day before when she accidently ran into Hikaru…

She shook her head to clear out the jumbled mess of thoughts.

Her tennis shoes smacked softly on the tiled floor and the only other sound was her breathing. She pushed a dark brown strand of hair, which must have escaped from her ponytail, from her face.

She finally reached the tall doors of Music Room 3.

_Alright, _she thought to herself, _time to be a charming and cute shy girl._

She opened the doors and prepared herself to talk to her customers.

Amy did pretty good today. She had several guys talking to her and did good with the conversations. She wasn't _as _shy as she used to be.

Now, she was closing up a conversation with a guy she was talking to.

When he left, she began gathering up her backpack, book, and leftover pastry. As she started making her way towards the door, she felt a pair of eyes on her.

She simply ignored the feeling and continued out the door. Once she made it out of Music Room 3, she let out a big sigh.

_I love doing this, but sometimes I wonder why I ever started. It's so mentally exhausting. Especially when you're terrified, _she thought.

She passed by a tall, rounded window and heard someone come out of the host club's room. She didn't bother turning around and just continued walking.

They were probably just going home anyways.

"Amy!"

She turned around and saw a pair of golden eyes looking at her intently.

_Hikaru or Kaoru?_

"Crap! You walk fast! I've been trying to talk to you ever since school was over!"

_Hikaru._

"I'm sorry?" Amy didn't really know what to say to that.

He let out a frustrated sigh.

"You're always sorry," he said with an icy tone.

She just looked at him with a puzzled look…

"I…uh…wanted to catch up with you."

She gave him a look that urged him to go on.

"Well…uh…I…uh…wanted to…um…"

"You didn't plan this far ahead, did you?"

He looked at her; surprised.

"Not really," he said quietly. He looked down at the floor. Obviously, he was trying to avoid making eye contact with her.

"Well I need to go. So… I'll see you tomorrow. Bye," she said with a small, calm voice.

"Bye." His voice still had a sharpness to it.

He turned quickly and hurried off.

Amy just stood there and watched him go.

_What did I ever do to him?_

She shrugged and continued to her car. She walked slowly and let her thoughts flow out in a continuous stream.

_What was that about? Maybe he needed homework for a class. No… Maybe he wanted to… To… I don't even know. Maybe he wanted to apologize for being rude to me…_

She stopped walking.

_Nah._

Later that night, Amy laid in bed and stared at her ceiling.

She was wide awake and her mind was reeling. The way Hikaru had acted and what he said earlier was prancing around in her mind. She couldn't make any sense of it.

_Oh well, _she though sleepily, _I'm sure he'll try to tell me again tomorrow._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 Hikaru Hitachiin

Today, Hikaru was had to try again.

He had to tell her.

He _had _to…

It was time for the host club to meet and it was one of those days without any customers. Everyone was off doing their thing and Hikaru knew they wouldn't notice if he talked to Amy.

He approached her usual table in the corner and saw that she was reading 'Rurouni Kenshin'. She looked up and Hikaru's ice cold heart melted slightly from her doe-like eyes.

"Hey, Hikaru," she said in a small voice.

"Hey, can I sit with you?"

"Sure."

He sat down across from her and looked at her.

Up close, he could tell she wasn't wearing makeup. She didn't need it anyways. Her skin was a nice tan shade and she didn't have any blemishes. She didn't have any noticeable dark circles and her eyelashes were naturally thick and dark.

Her hair was pretty too. She had actually worn it down that day and Hikaru noticed how long and wavy it was. It was also a lovely shade of brown.

"You're staring at me…"

Hikaru came back from deep within his mind.

"Sorry. Umm… I've been meaning to tell you something for the past couple of days."

She urged him on with a look.

"Well, about my…attitude…behavior…to you lately…I'm sorry. I'm in a bit of a rough spot and I've been real angry lately. I shouldn't take it out on people. So, again, I'm sorry."

Her lips curled into an adorable half smile.

"It's alright. After all, _I _ran into _you._ So it was my fault. I'm sorry."

"But I shouldn't have been so rude. And you shouldn't be the one who's sorry! That's me!"

"Well, what are you sorry for?"

"For being mean," he said. "What are _you _sorry for?"

"For running into you."

"No. I'm sorry for that."

"_No. I'm _sorry," she said irritably.

"I can go all day," he said.

She laughed. "Me too."

"Should we end it now before it gets any worse?"

"Yeah, probably."

They just talked after that. Hikaru never knew she was so much fun. He felt as though all of the anger had been drained from him.

When the club was getting ready to leave, Hikaru realized that he didn't want Amy to leave.

"Are you about to leave?" His voce still had an icy tone to it.

"Yeah, are you?"

"I might as well," he shrugged.

They both stood up and she began gathering her things. But before she could get her backpack, for some reason, he grabbed it and held it out to show he wanted to help her put it on.

She looked at him with a puzzled expression but turned around and slipped her arms through the straps. He pulled it up to her shoulders and let his hands sit on her shoulders for a second before he let go of her backpack.

They walked out of the building together and, before they went their separate ways, the stopped and turned to one another.

"See you tomorrow?" He said this slowly and shyly.

She smiled. "Yeah, see you tomorrow."

Then, Amy went to her car and Hikaru went to his.

Once inside the car, Hikaru realized how he had been acting just a little while ago.

_What's wrong with me? How could a girl make me act like tha?_

He just sat there for a second.

_And why did I help her with her backpack? That's really out of character for me, _he thought.

"Hmm…"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 Amy Marshall

After the day Hikaru apologized, Amy had seen an incredibly improvement in his mood.

He seemed…_happier._

However, every now and then, his temper would come back and he snapped at her.

Aside from Hikaru's attitude change, Amy herself had been different. Something inside her had changed.

She felt more comfortable with him. She felt like she wasn't shy around him.

Right now, she was one her way to lunch and she couldn't help but feel a _little _excited about seeing Hikaru at host club later that day. She sat her backpack down at the table that she and her friends had claimed since their first year at Ouran Academy. She sat down next to Melinda and began eating. Someone approached the table and everyone stopped eating. Amy looked up and saw Hikaru.

"Hey, can I sit here?" He motioned to the empty chair next to her.

"Sure."

He sat down cautiously and glanced nervously at Melinda. Amy looked at her and noticed how shocked she was.

"I'll explain later," Amy whispered quickly in her ear.

Amy turned to Hikaru and he gave her an icy look.

His face softened and he apologized.

"It's alright. So, what brought you over here?"

He offered her a shy smile. "You," he said quietly.

Amy blushed violently and continued eating.

Later that day, just as the host club was leaving for the day, Amy and Hikaru were walking out of the building.

"So, I have a soccer game tomorrow. I was wondering if you would want to come…" Amy's voice was so quiet she had to repeat herself.

"Hmm…I don't know. I mean, it's cold and it's obviously outside right?" She nodded. "I don't think so."

Her heart dropped.

"Oh," she said solemnly. "Okay."

They said goodbye and went their separate ways. Amy got in her red Volkswagen Beetle and drove away. Her mind was so cluttered that she had to think it out.

_Okay, so… What's with him? He seems like he's changed, but sometimes he seems like the old Hikaru. Maybe he just needs someone to talk to and he doesn't want to talk to someone that's in a relationship, _she thought slowly.

She got to Melinda's house and wondered how she had made it there without dying. She hadn't been paying attention at all while she drove.

She saw Laney's, Rose's, Kat's, and Lynn's cars parked all along the circle drive.

_Great, _Amy thought, _lots of people to explain to. _

Forty-five minutes and an explanation later, Amy was receiving a group hug from all five of her friends.

"If he stops being such a jerk, you guys will be adorable!" Lynn yelled right in Amy's ear.

"Now both of you will have someone," Melinda squealed.

"You guys would be so cute," Laney shouted from somewhere in the mass of hugging girls.

"Amy's gonna have a boyfriend and I won't!" Kat seemed sad but happy at the same time about this.

"I'm so happy for you!" Rose yelled.

Finally, all the girls let go of Amy and she took a deep breath.

"You people act like we're engaged!" She took another deep breath. "So, what do I do?"

"What do you do?!" Melinda repeated.

"You act all cute and like him back!" Lynn yelled excitedly.

"You walk up to him and yell, 'I freaking love you'!" Kat screamed at the top of her lungs.

Amy made a face.

"C'mon. Let's be realistic," Rose said calmly. "Amy, how do you feel about him?"

Amy sat for a second. She didn't know. She felt like there was still so much to be learned about him before she could decide her feelings about him.

"I don't know yet," she said softly.

The next day, Amy felt _so _excited about something. Then, her heart sank.

"Oh yeah," she said sadly to herself. "He's not coming."

She dressed quickly for her soccer game and went out to her car.

When she got to the field, her friends and their boyfriends were there. She received a massive hug from the whole group and several good lucks. After saying "Hi" to everyone, she ran over to her team.

As she did her stretches and warm-ups, she couldn't help looking out in the crowd to see if he was there. Of course, she never did see his scowling face.

The game started and Amy wasn't really feeling very confident. Her team definitely wasn't doing well at all. Everyone was in a daze. Amy was upset that they were losing but she just couldn't encourage herself.

At half-time, the coach called them in and Amy was just thinking, _what's wrong with me?_

While the coach was giving a pep talk, Amy heard a familiar voice…

"Amy!"

She looked over at her friends and saw a flash of ginger hair and golden eyes. There were two gingers. One was holding Melinda's hand and the other waving at her…

"Amy!"

She lifted her hand and waved at Hikaru. She smiled and realized that he had come for _her. _He was smiling_ at her. _

She turned back to her team and knew that she would do much better this time around. The game started again and she came back strong. Her team soon followed her lead and everyone was encouraged to do better. They were catching up to the other team but they didn't win.

Amy sadly made her way to her friends when the game ended. They all looked at her and gave her a hug. Then, Hikaru approached her.

"Hey," he said calmly.

"You came," she replied happily.

"Yeah, boss texted me and said I should come out here to support you because you guys were getting creamed."

"I DID NOT SAY THAT!" Tamaki yelled.

"Yeah, you did."

"NO I DIDN'T! I SAID YOU SHOULD COME OUT HERE BECAUSE SHE WON'T LIKE YOU IF—"

Hikaru cut him off by throwing his shoe and hitting him in the face. This started a screaming match, which was followed by a throwing match…

They were throwing soccer balls, chairs, shoes, rocks, and even Hunny got mixed in there. Mori jumped in to save Hunny, but was thrown back and forth. Laney, then, jumped in to save Mori and Hunny but was stuck in there too.

Amy just started laughing and walked over to Hikaru. For some reason that was beyond her, she hugged him. The fighting stopped and Hikaru didn't do anything. He didn't hug her back nor did her push her away; he didn't do anything.

"Th-thank you for…coming. It means a lot to me."

Hikaru still didn't move. She let go of him and wasn't hurt by the fact that he didn't hug her back. She just turned and walked over to her friends.

"The feeling is mutual," she whispered to them and they all smiled excitedly.

She turned around and waved at Hikaru, who was still in shock. She, then, walked to her car and left.

_I don't know what just happened, but I think I like the feeling, _she thought.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 Hikaru Hitachiin

Something in Hikaru changed at that soccer game. All of his anger had been drained away like it had never been there to begin with. Amy had cured him of every drop of bitterness inside of him within just a month.

_She truly is an extraordinary girl, _Hikaru thought as he lay in bed on the Sunday after the soccer game.

He felt like a different person. He wasn't Hikaru anymore, he was Amy's Hikaru. He felt as though he could through fire for her and he would if she commanded him to do such.

All of the sudden, Kaoru didn't seem like a brainwashed idiot anymore. Now, Kaoru was just another guy in love.

Hikaru suddenly understood how wrong everything he had said and done to Kaoru and Melinda was. He felt like a monster.

As he got up and prepared his apologies, the last words he had said to Kaoru and Melinda rang over and over in his ears: "If being in love makes you brainwashed and doesn't allow you to help your own brother, then I don't want it!"

Hikaru was waiting patiently at Music Room 3 later that afternoon. He had asked Melinda to meet him there at one o'clock. She would be there any moment.

The door slowly opened and Melinda's small face peeped in. Hikaru motioned for her to come in and she obeyed.

"So, what's all this about, Hikaru?"

"Well," he started awkwardly, "I wanted to…apologize for my attitude and behavior toward you."

She didn't seem very shocked.

"I had a feeling this was coming. I didn't when but I've known you would say that ever since you and Kaoru had that big fight," she said kindly.

"How did you know?"

"Well, Kaoru and I talked about it a little bit at the Black Masquerade. I told him that you meet someone that would make you want to be better."

Hikaru blushed slightly and looked down at his feet.

"She's amazing," Melinda said softly. "At first, I didn't think you deserved her, but, after seeing how much you two changed each other, I can't think of a better couple.

"Thank you for understanding."

He hugged her and they said goodbye. Next was Hikaru's apology to Kaoru.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 Amy Marshall

Amy walked along the hall of Ouran Academy. Hikaru had told her to meet him in the club room at two o'clock but she was a little early.

She approached the door to Music Room 3. Just as she was reaching for the handle, she heard voices…

"Kaoru, I-I'm sorry for…acting the way I did when you and Melinda got together." Hikaru's voice sounded so small and worried.

Amy pressed her ear to the door and stood as still as possible.

"I forgive you, but what exactly happened to you, Hikaru? Lately, you've been so different. You've been happier but you look so sad." Kaoru's voice was soft.

"Well," Hikaru sounded sad, "recently I've had an epiphany. I understand what happened to you with Melinda." He sounded slightly happier. Amy could hear a smile in his voice. "But it's not enough." His voice faded back to sadness.

"What do you mean?"

"She will never consider me. I don't deserve her." Amy could hear the utter sadness in his voice. She could just imagine the sad look in his eyes. It broke her heart.

"Hikaru, I know Amy. She is definitely considering you. Plus, she is so lucky to have you; considering that you changed for her." Kaoru was so caring. Melinda and Hikaru were lucky to have him.

"I didn't consciously change for her. I just changed for her; like it was the most natural thing in the world. She has such an impact on me and she doesn't even know it. And I don't know why, but I just do things naturally for her."

For some reason, Amy opened the door, looked Hikaru in the eye, and said, "Because, us being together is the most natural thing in the world."

The two boys looked at her in surprise. Hikaru was the first to get over the shock and made his way to Amy. As he stood in front of her, she could feel the excited energy flowing off him.

He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and crushed her into his chest. He placed his cheek on the top of her head and breathed deeply.

Amy closed her eyes and melted into him. She slowly brought her arms up and wrapped them around his waist. The feeling that was swelling up in her chest was one that she would have never imagined.

Everything about Hikaru made her feel secure and loved. The way his shirt smelled; his warmth; how he held her tightly; the way his back and arms tensed as her held her; it all made her wonder how she, Amy Marshall the bookworm, could have someone like Hikaru love her so much.

_I'm so lucky, _Amy thought wistfully.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 Hikaru Hitachiin

"I'm gonna take you on a real date."

Hikaru and Amy were sitting on the famous pink couch that every couple in the host club seemed to share.

Hikaru was sitting on the end of the couch and Amy was in the middle of it. She had her legs outstretched and propped up on his lap. He had his fingers entwined in her hair and was intently watching her read.

"Really?" Amy looked up from 'Alice in the Country of Hearts'.

"Yeah, you free Friday?"

"I can be," she smiled mischievously.

"Hmm…I have an idea of what we can do."

"What _are _we doing Friday?" Amy obviously couldn't stand the surprise.

"I'll tell you…on Friday."

"Hikaru!" Amy dropped her manga and attacked him with a pillow.

They were laughing and yelling happily. Hikaru tried to fend for himself but failed as Amy beat him with the pillow. Finally, he just pinned her to his chest and hugged her tightly.

"I win," he whispered and she laughed into his shirt.

Hikaru knocked on Amy's front door.

It was Friday and he was picking her up for their date.

She opened the door and he just looked at her. Her long, wavy, dark brown hair was down and framed her chiseled cheek bones. Thick, dark bangs covered her eyebrows and almost covered her eyes. Those lovely brown eyes—so large and doe-like—were framed by a thick fringe of lashes.

She hugged him and he savored the softness of her sweatshirt. She smiled up at him and he couldn't help but smile back. He was still amazed at how much they had both changed.

"So, where're we going?" She seemed very excited and obviously could not stand not knowing where they were going.

"That, my dear, is a surprise. Now, this may seem worthy of a red card, but I'm going to have to ask you to put this blindfold on." He pulled out a bandana from his pocket and waved it in front of her face.

She gave him a look that could kill baby animals and turned around with a defeated sigh. He tied it over her eyes and led her to her little red Beetle. He opened the passenger door and helped in. He stole the keys from her and got in the driver's side. He took her hand and backed out of the driveway.

"Hikaru?" she said with a voice as soft as a feather.

"Yeah?" he replied with a stone cold voice—a leftover from his previous bad attitude.

"Do you act like this around everyone else?"

"What do you mean?"

"Around everyone else, I'm really shy and quiet, but with you I feel like I can be myself and do stupid things and I won't be embarrassed," her voice was quiet and thoughtful. "Are you the same way?"

He considered the question.

"Well," he started slowly, "around the host club I'm a bit more reserved nowadays; then around my brother I joke around a bit more; but with you…I'm myself, you know? Around you, I feel like I can fall flat on my face and cry like a baby and you won't look at me any differently. I just feel so comfortable around you."

She smiled.

"Me too." She replied gleefully.

About ten minutes later, Hikaru parked the car and whispered, "We're here."

He helped Amy out of the car and led her a few steps away. He took her blindfold off and let her take the beautiful garden in.

He himself wanted to look at it again.

The grass was a lush green and the trees were tall and heavily decorated with leaves—forming a thick canopy. Fountains dotted the landscape and caused a break in the leaves, through which brilliant sunlight poured in. Happy, stone cherubs and angelic women poured water from jugs into the fountains. A tall, stone wall surrounded the garden and was very much adorned with ivy vines. An exquisite wrought iron gate was propped open and had obviously been that way for a while due to the vines covering it.

Hikaru knew she would love this place. It was _her_ garden. Such a beautiful escape was so well hidden outside the city.

"Oh, Hikaru, it's beautiful!" She ran over to a statue of a Grecian goddess and looked back at him. "It's like a dream," she said softly.

He walked over to her and took her hand. "There's more."

He led her to the back of the garden where another lovely wrought iron gate decorated with ivy stood open for them. They walked out onto a path that led into a forest so lush it was almost overgrown.

A small stream gurgled alongside the path and turned into a waterfall as they walked further into the forest.

Hikaru knew they were almost to the secret location and smiled slightly. He looked back at Amy and saw that her eyes were closed. He stopped and she opened her eyes.

"I love the sound of water," she said serenely.

"We're almost to the mystery location. So I need to cover your eyes." He walked behind her and placed his hands over her eyes. He felt the soft flutter of her lashed on his palms and could smell her floral shampoo.

They continued down the path and Hikaru saw the secret setup for her. He hurried her down the path and stopped her in the center of the pavilion.

"Ready?"

She nodded eagerly and he lifted his hands from her face.

She gasped as she took in the old, Greek-styled pavilion; the clear blue pond that surrounded it; the grand crystal chandelier; the mosaic design in the floor; the unbelievably green trees towering over them; and the tall stack of books and manga in the middle of the floor.

After a few moments of shocked silence, Amy and Hikaru sat on a blanket in the floor and laid side by side.

"What's all this doing out here?" she asked in awestruck wonder.

"Well, there's a bit of an urban legend behind it." Hikaru said softly. "They say a man, named Akihiko, used to live in a mansion somewhere around this garden. He was young and successful but didn't have and couldn't buy the one thing he absolutely desired."

"What did he desire?" She scooted closer to him and was entirely absorbed by the story.

"Love. He just wanted someone to love him. But he didn't want her to love him just because he had lots of money. So, he moved into a homeless shelter for several months and he met a beautiful woman there. Her name was Youko.

"They fell in love and, one day, Akihiko asked her if she would love him no matter what. Of course, she said yes, and he told her about his lie. But Youko felt tricked and lied to, so she asked him to leave her alone forever. He never saw her again, but he constructed this garden in her memory."

"But what happened to Youko?"

"They say she died of starvation on the streets because she refused to stay at the shelter in fear of seeing Akihiko again."

"And what happened to him?"

"It's said that he lived alone in his mansion until he died."

She looked at him with the most upset look in her eyes.

"That was a really sad story." She took his hand and sighed. "I wouldn't break up with you if you did that to me."

He chuckled. "Nice to know."

"But a garden is gladly welcomed."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 Amy Marshall

"That is so romantic!" Lynn and Kat yelled in unison.

It had been two days since Amy and Hikaru's first official date. Laney, Melinda, Rose, Kat, and Lynn were all sitting on Amy's bed. They had asked her to give them a play-by-play of the date.

She had just finished telling them all about it and they all seemed so surprised.

"He's so different with you," Melinda said softly.

"And _you're _different with _him,_" Laney added.

"Yeah," Amy replied wistfully. "I'm so comfortable around him and he feels the same way around me."

"So how, exactly, do you feel around?" Rose's eyes had a concerned and caring look in them.

Amy sat for a second.

"_Safe. _I feel safe with him."

The next day, the host club met and didn't have any customers. Amy and Hikaru absolutely loved those days. That was when they got to just hang out and enjoy each other's company.

"Amy?"

She looked up from her DBZ manga. "Yeah, Hikaru?"

"Do you have plans Saturday afternoon?" Before his "epiphany", Amy knew that Hikaru's voice would have been shaky and nervous when he asked her about going on dates. But now, it seemed, it came easily to him.

"I have a soccer game."

"Oh," he said sadly.

"Why?"

"Well, my mom is having a family party and I wanted to show you off. But it's okay. We have plenty of time for that."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it." He twirled a band of hair in her ponytail thoughtfully.

"Alright," she said skeptically.

When Saturday came, Amy was crossed. On her bed, her soccer uniform lay; ready to be put on. But a beautiful blue dress lay next to it; borrowed from a friend.

_The soccer game or the party?_

Both involved important to her; soccer and Hikaru. She could only choose one.

She sighed and made her decision.

Amy knocked softly on the Hitachiin door and waited patiently.

Hikaru was the one to answer the door and he greeted her with a surprised smile. They hugged and he ushered her into the party.

He introduced her to aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and even friends of the family. It took a little while to find his mother. They finally found her buried deep in the heart of the party.

"Mom!"

"Oh, hi, Hikaru!"

Amy looked over Mrs. Hitachiin and was in awe. The woman had a daring pixie cut and a lovely red dress on. She was beautiful.

"I have someone I want you to me," Hikaru announced reluctantly.

"Oh," Mrs. Hitachiin sat her cup of punch down on the nearest table, "you must be Amy." Her voice was pleasant and she shook Amy's hand happily.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Hitachi—"

"None of that! Call me Yuzuha." She, then, placed a hand on each side of Amy's face and said, "My, you're a pretty one. Just like Melinda."

"Mom," Hikaru snapped.

"Hikaru, your Aunt Touko wants to see you. Why don't you go find her?"

Hikaru left reluctantly and went into another room. Amy looked shyly at Yuzuha.

"Mrs. Yuzuha?"

Then, she hugged Amy hard and said, "I can't thank you enough for what you've done for my little boy."

Amy lifted her arms awkwardly and hugged the woman back.

"He helped me too. I owed him."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 Hikaru Hitachiin

Several months had passed since the family party and Amy and Hikaru had only grown closer.

They were sitting on a blanket in their pavilion on the water. They had officially made this their spot and visited it frequently. They would just lay there, listen to music, or read.

Now, they were dancing to 'Stop & Stare' by OneRepublic and were surrounded by glittering Christmas lights. It was dusk and the sky was a lovely pink shade.

Hikaru savored the feeling of her being pressed against him. His hands held her waist and her arms circled his neck. Her head rested on his shoulder and he placed his cheek against hers.

"Amy," he said softly.

"Hmm?"

"I'm debating on something."

"What's that?"

"Well, remember how our relationship just comes naturally?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, I'm going to keep true to that."

"What are you—"

He cut her off with a kiss.

She was in shock but recovered when he laced his fingers in her hair. When they pulled away, she hugged him hard and he closed his eyes.

_Loving her is the most natural thing in the world, _he thought contentedly.


End file.
